Pages

Friday, 11 December 2015

Book Review and Author Interview - The Thread That Binds by Alice Hayes

I just finished reading The Thread that Binds, by Alice Hayes. A book that demands to be read with a hot cup of tea or coffee by your side.

This is Alice's first published novel. Last year it won third place in the World's Best Story contest.

The Thread That Binds is the story of five women who are either new mothers or mothers-to-be. These five women don't know each other at the beginning of the story, but through different circumstances, their paths cross and friendships form. Sherice is a new mom herself, coming to terms with an illness that is changing her own mother. Sylvie is a French woman who fell in love and now lives in the US. She and her husband are stricken by poverty as she tries to find prenatal care. Joanne is single and determined to have a baby, so enlists her gay best friend, Marty to help her. Payton is 17 years old, pregnant, and on the run from a family that has all but disowned her. And Gloria is trapped in a loveless and abusive marriage, in love with another, and pregnant with a baby that could belong to one of two men.

The Thread That Binds is told from the perspective of each of these five women. I loved that we only were introduced to a few characters at a time so I could really get to know two or three of the women before she added the other narrators. The book is fast-paced and really kept me wondering how each of the women's stories would end. I was easily invested in them and their babies and was wishing for things to work out. I loved how the women's lives wove together, and I could really see these women building new friendships with each other. The overall message is that kindness and empathy can triumph over situations that feel hopeless.

Reading this book has the potential to make you laugh, cry, feel distressed, and feel joy. The Thread That Binds is a perfect book for anyone who enjoys contemporary women's fiction.

To learn a bit more about the author, Alice Hayes, I hope you enjoy this interview with her:

Where do you get inspiration for
your stories?

A lot of it comes from music and
poetry. The Thread That Binds was hugely influenced by country
music and my own experiences living in Georgia. Another novel I’ve
written, War Wounds, was inspired by the Gillian Clarke poem
On The Train. My current project is a novel set in Northern
Ireland during The Troubles, heavily inspired by the history of the
conflict and the Seamus Heaney poem Whatever You Say, Say Nothing.

Do you ever get writer’s block?
What helps you overcome it?

I think we all do. I’ll take a break
and work on another project, whether it be my blog or a different
novel or even a short story. Usually it helps things to come unstuck.

You’re a single mom writer. How do
you balance your time?

With a type-A personality and a strict
schedule… I write when my daughter is in bed. I do homework on my
lunch break at work. I cook and clean and run on my downtime, and
sleep… Well, virtually never. Honestly, though, it helps that her
dad and his family are in the picture. She’ll visit him most
weekends, and I get to recharge.

Do you have another profession
besides writing?

I work in a law office. The big dream
is to finish my Bachelor’s degree by the time my daughter starts
school, and then to go to law school.

In today’s tech-savvy world, most
writers use a computer or laptop. Have you ever written parts of your
book on paper?

I keep a journal by the side of my bed
to scribble down any ideas that come to me in the middle of the
night, but that’s the extent of my hand-writing. I prefer to edit
on paper, though. I print my work and then edit by hand with my
trusty red pen. I have a typewriter in excellent working condition,
but I definitely prefer the comfort of having my work saved and
backed up on a computer.

What advice would you give to
budding writers?

Keep at it! It’s hard to get
motivated sometimes, especially when writer’s block sets in. But
the only way you can make any improvement is if you keep working at
it. Cherish your writing time, and don’t let anyone tell you it’s
not important.

About the Author:
Originally from Winchester, England, Alice's plans to read law at a British university were disrupted when she fell deeply in love with Georgia, USA while studying abroad. After moving all over Georgia, Alice has finally settled in Athens and has no plans to go anywhere else.

She is a single mother to a three-year-old girl and a 65lb hound dog. She likes coffee, wine, and anything edible with the words "salted caramel" in its description.

At the time of publication, Alice is a 24-year-old history student working full-time in a law office, and writing fiction at every stolen moment. She hasn't slept in approximately two years. You can find her on Twitter or over at her blog.